Upgrade StorageCreated a data folder back up with Zotero still open. Is the folder corrupted? What should I do?
Hello,
Having just bought a new computer, today I started looking into how I should transfer all of my Zotero files and data to my new device.
Thinking that I may want to try copying my data folder instead of using the sync option, I began to create a back up of my data folder on an external hard drive.
Foolishly, I still had Zotero open while the folder was being transferred to the external hard drive (I unfortunately did not yet notice the part in the instructions warning people not to do this).
Once I had noticed my potential error, I briefly thought about cancelling the transfer mid-download, but waited for it to finish instead. After it had finished, I closed Zotero, but I noticed that, simultaneously, some things seemed to disappear or move in the folder's original (Windows C:) location as I was looking at it.
Whatever happened here, a back up was created. However, I soon noticed that there were indeed discrepancies between this back up and the (seemingly) altered source folder. Namely, there is no longer a "zotero.sqlite-journal" file or a "tmp" folder in the source, and many of the file sizes are not displayed (for example, everything in the "storage" folder). Upon closer inspection, I can also see that at least the first 8 folders in the "storage" seem to have disappeared (23... to 29...).
I then created a second back up, of the newly altered original source (with Zotero still closed)
Does this mean I corrupted my data folder? And, more importantly, what should I do to fix this situation or avoid making it any worse? I am too scared to open Zotero again to check what may have happened (please tell me if I should), mainly because I am worried how syncing being activated will affect all this, and I am not sure what to do. I'm not at all knowledgeable with technical stuff like this, I just want to ensure I don't lose my study files/notes/organisation.
It looks like the first back up I created perhaps preserves an older, more complete form of the data folder, but I am not sure how accurate this is, or if/how I could use that to reverse what may have happened. Can syncing still help (or not)?
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Sorry if I seem technically ignorant or overly worried about something actually quite simple, I can't help it.
Many thanks,
Kieran
Having just bought a new computer, today I started looking into how I should transfer all of my Zotero files and data to my new device.
Thinking that I may want to try copying my data folder instead of using the sync option, I began to create a back up of my data folder on an external hard drive.
Foolishly, I still had Zotero open while the folder was being transferred to the external hard drive (I unfortunately did not yet notice the part in the instructions warning people not to do this).
Once I had noticed my potential error, I briefly thought about cancelling the transfer mid-download, but waited for it to finish instead. After it had finished, I closed Zotero, but I noticed that, simultaneously, some things seemed to disappear or move in the folder's original (Windows C:) location as I was looking at it.
Whatever happened here, a back up was created. However, I soon noticed that there were indeed discrepancies between this back up and the (seemingly) altered source folder. Namely, there is no longer a "zotero.sqlite-journal" file or a "tmp" folder in the source, and many of the file sizes are not displayed (for example, everything in the "storage" folder). Upon closer inspection, I can also see that at least the first 8 folders in the "storage" seem to have disappeared (23... to 29...).
I then created a second back up, of the newly altered original source (with Zotero still closed)
Does this mean I corrupted my data folder? And, more importantly, what should I do to fix this situation or avoid making it any worse? I am too scared to open Zotero again to check what may have happened (please tell me if I should), mainly because I am worried how syncing being activated will affect all this, and I am not sure what to do. I'm not at all knowledgeable with technical stuff like this, I just want to ensure I don't lose my study files/notes/organisation.
It looks like the first back up I created perhaps preserves an older, more complete form of the data folder, but I am not sure how accurate this is, or if/how I could use that to reverse what may have happened. Can syncing still help (or not)?
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Sorry if I seem technically ignorant or overly worried about something actually quite simple, I can't help it.
Many thanks,
Kieran
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dstillmanedited March 2, 2025You didn't corrupt anything. Just copying a folder doesn't affect it in any way. Using a a backup from when Zotero was open is usually fine, but if you have the option (e.g., for a manual one-time operation to move Zotero between computers), closing it first is better.
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kisaacs68Thank you for the swift response! Alright, so - just to double-check - the differences I noticed probably don't represent any kind of corruption, and I should be fine to use the first back up I created when I move it to the new computer?
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dstillmanCorrect.